In 2022, it’s predicted there will be 15.5 million podcast listeners in the UK (according to eMarketer). Podcasts are an excellent way to reach younger audiences, with Statista reporting in 2021 that 40% of podcast listeners in the UK are aged 20-35.
Here’s how you can learn the basics of podcasting.
An introduction to podcasting
Recommended reading & viewing:
- How to start a podcast, by The Podcast Host.
- A podcaster’s glossary from Acast.
- How to make a podcast, by Cornwall Museum Partnership (CMP).
Equipment
- It’s possible to record directly onto your smartphone, but budget for a microphone if you can. Try the Snowball or Yeti USB microphones (plugged into your computer) from Blue Microphones.
- If you’re recording outside on a smartphone, get a clip-on microphone like the Wavo Lav Mobile, or the Røde Smartlav+ (smartphones without a headphone socket will need an adapter).
- Editing software is essential. Cornwall Museum Partnership recommends using Anchor to edit on your smartphone, but Audacity is another free option; set aside some time to learn the software (try the free Udemy course).
- Podcasts are hosted by podcasting platforms, but you don’t have to spend money for this. The best free host is Anchor; Acast also has a free Starter plan.
Branding
- You need a suitably catchy name for the podcast. Type your chosen name into Google and into the search box of podcast platforms such as Acast, Apple Podcasts or Spotify to check it isn’t in use.
- Intro and outro music is essential to start and end each episode. Don’t take someone else’s music, as this is a copyright breach. You need Buzzsprout’s guide to free music for podcasts.
- Make a cover image which will be uploaded to podcast platforms. Free graphic design software such as Canva (which even has cover templates) makes your cover look professional and eye-catching. Try to use some of the colours from your museum logo and website, to keep things consistent.
- A ‘trailer’ should briefly introduce your podcast and its topics; Spotify recommends this is just one minute long. People will often listen to the trailer before a full episode.
Storytelling and interviewing
- Listen to relevant podcasts for inspiration on bringing history and culture to life: Meet Me at the Museum involves a famous person and their guest exploring a favourite museum; Museum Secrets takes us behind the scenes at the Ashmolean Museum.
- Don’t be afraid to add humour if it’s relevant. National Treasures with Laura Lexx and Will Duggan sees two comedians visit UK heritage attractions; Loremen is a light-hearted podcast all about UK local legends and folklore.
- You can conduct remote interviews by recording phone calls with specific apps, or record a Zoom call using Zoom’s built-in recording function, which will then give an audio file to download. Microsoft Teams can only record video files. For those with a budget, try software from Iris or Riverside FM. Let interviewees know you will be recording the call for your podcast.
- If the acoustics of your room are causing problems, Podcast Engineers has advice.
- You can even create podcasts that work as audio tours of a particular area; people would download the episode and listen to it as they explored the location. Why not pair this with archive audio clips?
Top Tips
- Remember that bad sound quality is one of the most off-putting elements of recorded material.
- Do a test recording in the room or space you’re using, to see if it’s suitable. Listen for background noise.
- Presenters and guests should speak clearly and slow down their speech to be understood by listeners.
Editing and uploading
- Try to keep each episode to a similar length; don’t make the podcast longer for the sake of it.
Some podcasts, such as Dan Snow’s History Hit and HistoryExtra, have short episodes of 20-40 minutes. - If you’ve recorded and edited multiple episodes, don’t upload them all at once. Spread out your episodes: uploading once a month, or once a fortnight, is fine.
- Each episode needs show notes to give an overview of the episode’s topic, and any useful links related to the discussion, such as the website, social media accounts or book of a guest you interviewed, or a link to donate money to your museum.
- Spotify doesn’t host podcasts; it works with host partners and takes your podcast from the partner website. Follow the Spotify guide to submit your show from an existing platform, like Acast or Anchor.
- People search for podcasts by topic, so you must categorise your podcast when you upload it. Some platforms, such as Apple Podcasts, let you pick more than one category, like ‘Visual Arts’ and ‘History’.
- Once you get to grips with podcasting, please consider making a transcript of each episode so that Deaf or hearing-impaired people can read what was discussed, and everyone can search the transcripts. Try free software from oTranscribe, or a range of paid transcription options for podcasters.
Promoting your podcast
- Think about the tools you already have: your website, social media, and possibly
an email newsletter. Link to your podcast from all of these platforms. - Use relevant hashtags sparingly on social media; current best practice is maximum
2-3 hashtags per post on Twitter or Facebook and 3-5 hashtags per post on Instagram.
Try these:- #Podcast
- #PodernFamily
- #Podcasting
- #PodcastersUnite
- #PodcastAddict
- #HistoryPodcast
- #PodcastersOfInstagram (if you use Instagram)
- Encourage listeners to leave reviews of your podcast; this builds trust and interest.
- Your aim is to get subscribers, so that new episodes are delivered to their accounts and can be automatically downloaded.
- Though podcasting is digital, don’t forget that advertising in a physical space can help, too – think about posters in your museum or on community notice boards in your area.
- Once your podcast grows, you could even consider selling advertising slots. The price you could charge for an advert would be based on the average number of listeners, subscribers and episode downloads, as this shows the potential audience an advertiser could reach.
